MAY 12 — In April, a Boston-based advertising firm created a fake advertisement for the “world’s toughest job”.
There was an opening for the “director of operations”’ post.
The job scope involved:
· Work standing most of the time
· Constantly exerting yourself
· Working at least 135 hours a week, seven days a week, 365 days a year
· Holding degrees in medicine, finance and culinary arts
· No sleep
· No vacations
· A salary of absolutely nothing
During the interview, which was done via video conferencing, many said there was no way they were going to take up the position, calling it intense, cruel, crazy and inhumane.
It is only later that the candidates found out that the role they were applying for was that of a mother.
The brilliant Mother’s Day message brought tears to some of the 24 applicants when they were informed these were some of the tasks mothers do every single day.
We tend to take our parents, especially our mothers, for granted for all the things they have done for us throughout the years.
Over the weekend, I was informed by a mother that her 10-year-old son said she had “embarrassed” him after she had brought food for him to school.
Perhaps the gesture was considered “uncool” or it could have been a situation where his friends had made fun of him.
But the gesture of his mother reminded me of my own mother some 24 years ago.
With two tiffin carriers in her hand, she would walk to school every Wednesday, for years, to make sure my sister and I had food as we attended computer lessons after school hours.
She would wait patiently for us at the canteen, while waiting for the school bell to ring.
Sometimes I would ask her, why she would come all the way with food, when we would be home several hours later. She would reply: “Mummy cooked so you and jiejie (elder sister in Mandarin) won’t be hungry during your lessons.”
When I was 12, my school organised a UPSR camp and students were required to stay in school for five days.
Despite being provided meals, my mother would, every evening, come to school with a flask of hot Milo.
It would take her about 15 minutes to walk to school from home and although I could only spare about 10 minutes with her, she came diligently to school every evening to make sure her little girl had a warm drink.
She has painstakingly waited hours for me by the side-lines while I attended taekwando, tuition and even music lessons.
During my college years, she would stay up late with me, whenever I burnt the midnight oil.
She still stays up late at night until I get home from work. This despite we no longer stay under the same roof.
Such are gestures mothers do daily for their children.
As we age, we realise most of the things our parents do are not as embarrassing as we once thought they were.
Thank you for everything mum. Happy Mother’s Day to you and all mothers out there.
This is the personal opinion of the columnist.
